Best Spots to Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

As the world’s largest parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a 2.5-mile long celebration that garners over 3.5 million people from around the world every year. So if you want to attend, you better get there early, because it’ll be crowded with people competing over the good spots.

Beyond all the millions of New Yorkers and tourists attending the parade, this year’s event will also feature celebrities like Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jack Angel, Frank Welker (the voice of Fred Jones in Scooby-Doo) and Jaleel White.

The best part? You don’t need a ticket to attend – it’s entirely free!

Here’s a list of the best spots in NYC to beat the crowds and check out the parade:

Be There or Be Square

Macy’s parade route will start off at West 77th Street & Central Park at 9am. If you want to have a great view of the parade, a good spot is at Central Park Westfrom 75th to West 59 Street.

In keeping with tradition, this year’s parade will feature giant balloons imagining different cartoon characters. Think: Pikachu, SpongeBob Squarepants and Charlie Brown. There’ll also be different types of entertainment, including clowns, marching bands and dance performances.

After West 77th, the parade will head to Columbus Circle and turn onto Central Park South before it walk towards Central Park 6th Avenue. You’ll find the best views on West 59th Street to West 38th Streets.

NBC will broadcast the parade in the US and attract over 50 million viewers across the country. You should avoid watching the parade on 6th Avenue between West 34th Street and West 38th Streets and on West 34th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues because the national TV broadcast will limit the viewing there.

At noon, the parade will make its final right, outside Macy’s Herald Square.

Need an Outfit for the Evening?

If you’re looking for a last minute outfit to wear on Thanksgiving evening, Macy’s Herald Square will open at 5pm after the parade to start its Black Friday sale. The store will remain open until 2am.

During the Black Friday sale, you’ll have the opportunity to make huge savings on clothing, shoes and accessories, and collect your favorite products from your favorite brands.

Running Low on Cash?

If you haven’t received your paycheck before the parade and are running low on cash, you can use the nonprofit Provident Loan Society.

They provide you with short-term loans in exchange for collateral such as gold and fine jewelry. Provident Loan Society has five New York City locations where you can bring your collateral.

First step is to tell them how much money you need, they offer loans up to $100,000. A pawnbroker will have a look at your collateral and give you a monetary estimate and then you will have the cash on-the-spot. The whole process takes 20 minutes to complete. Click here if you want to read more.

AuthorDiana Andersson is a Swedish student studying sociology and rhetoric in Stockholm.